Concert Hall Classrooms Included in Bond Project

Ponca City voters approved a bond project in 2015 to build the new Ponca City Public Schools Concert Hall, replacing the existing Hutchins Auditorium on Fifth Street across from the high school.

This concert hall provided the music education program a much-needed space for performances, contest preparation and the ability to combine ensembles, which is an important part of the education experience.

The hall is uniquely designed for acoustic performances and is the only one of its kind in the area. The facility seats 1,204 spectators.

The vision in the original design of the concert hall was the addition of additional classrooms and staging room space. This vision is included in the proposed $49.7 million bond project Ponca City voters will decide on at the Oct. 12, 2021, school bond election.

Adam Leaming, Executive Director of Operations Intern for Ponca City Public Schools, said, “The new facility delivered the intended results we sought for our community and the district. Our students finally had the space that allowed them to shine.”

Leaming said included in the upcoming bond issue is building three new classrooms and staging rooms for the music programs. “Right now, students are placed in a hallway anxiously awaiting their opportunity to get on stage. When we conduct a musical concert that’s up to 300 or more students with their large and bulky instruments who find themselves sitting in a hallway waiting to go on stage.”

“It is a safety and fire issue to continue holding students in those hallways in the long term,” said Leaming. “Passage of this bond issue would finalize the vision for the concert hall that voters overwhelmingly approved in 2015.”

In addition to these additional classrooms and staging room space at the concert hall, every building in the school district will see an improvement. “I think it’s important to remember that during our last bond issue, our beautiful concert hall was built. That has touched our musical and instrumental music programs.”

The proposed bond project includes renovating bathrooms, floors, HVAC units and paving in several areas across the district. Work will also occur at the tennis court, baseball stadium, softball stadium and other areas across the district.

The proposed bond election will not be a tax increase for Ponca City residents.

“The Ponca City Public Schools Concert Hall is the ONLY true concert hall in a K-12 district in the state of Oklahoma. It is designed so strategically that the audience can experience the beautiful music our students produce as it should be heard. It is a true point of pride for our community, students, and our outstanding instrumental and vocal music programs. The October 12 bond election could help us achieve Phase 2 of the vision of the Ponca City Public Schools Concert Hall. Adding the additional classrooms/holding rooms/practice rooms will allow our students to present concerts more effectively and for the facility to be utilized as initially envisioned. We cannot wait for the possible opportunity to bring other districts in to compete and perform and to show how much our community values our musical arts. In the 2015 bond election, our community overwhelming voted in favor of the bond issue and I know the Ponca City Public Schools Concert Hall made a huge impact in that decision. It is amazing we have such an amazing facility with NO tax increase,” said Superintendent Shelley Arrott.”